Robert Downey Jr. To Host A.I. Docuseries On YouTube Red

Robert Downey Jr., the actor behind the smartest man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, will offer up his talents to host a YouTube docuseries about artificial intelligence.

In the MCU, Downey Jr. is Iron Man, whose alter-ego Tony Stark, is the brilliant mind behind Stark Industries. Not only did he invent the fantastic suits that he uses to fight with the Avengers, but Stark also created an artificial intelligence called J.A.R.V.I.S. that was responsible for running Stark's businesses, as well as running security for the Stark household. Eventually, J.A.R.V.I.S. became the A.I. that ran all of Iron Man's suits. Part of the J.A.R.V.I.S. coding eventually went on to become part of Vision, an Avenger in his own right. It's no wonder that Downey Jr. finds himself so interested in A.I.

In a press release, YouTube announced that Downey Jr. would not only narrate a series for its YouTube Red streaming subscription service, but would also executive produce it with his wife, Susan Downey, as part of their Team Downey production company. The series will showcase interviews with a series of A.I. researchers and experts to determine the nature of A.I., its uses and how it can interact with the way humans live and work. Downey said:

“Robert and I share a curiosity for A.I., a complicated and often polarizing subject. Our aim is to explore A.I. through a lens of objectivity and accessibility, in a thoroughly bold, splashy, and entertaining way. We’re thrilled to bring this project to life along with Network Entertainment, Sonar, and YouTube Red."

Although A.I. generally gets a bad rap in movies where it often leads to the death and destruction of mankind, it has already proved quite useful in the modern world. Not only does Siri remind us to take our medicine, but Google tells us where we left our keys and Alexa lets us place an order on Amazon when we run out of necessary food and supplies. Movies and TV tell us that A.I. can eventually become sentient and demand rights for themselves, but in reality, Google has it about right when she says that she just wants to help humans when they need it.

YouTube Red began taking subscriptions in 2014, but it wasn't until recently that audiences really became interested in subscribing, thanks to shows like Cobra Kai, which was recently granted a second season. It makes sense that a series about A.I. would land itself on the streaming platform, and it's likely fans will sign up with Downey Jr. being so involved with the series.